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Friday, July 12, 2013

Waratah: Descendants and Memories

THEIR MEMORY LIVES ON

The souls on board Waratah on her final voyage in July 1909 were
never seen again, but their memory lives on for their descendants and for those who take an intense interest in

what really happened on that voyage between Durban
and Cape Town. Memorial
inscriptions placed in commemoration of individual passengers and crew members are to be
found in many parts of the world, and ceremonies continue to be held on the annual anniversary of the Waratah's disappearance.

The photos below were taken at the event held in Victoria, Australia
on Monday 27 July 2009

to mark the Centenary of the loss of the Waratah.

An inscribed plaque was unveiled by Winton McColl, great grandson of John Ebsworth:

The Blue Anchor Line steamship Waratah en route to England from Australia
was lost off the South African coast in extremely heavy seas
between Durban and Cape Town on 27 July 1909.

100 years later, descendants cast wreaths on the waters of Port
Phillip Bay
and unveiled this plaque to remember them.

Queenscliffe Maritime Museum July 2009

Display done by Staff of Queenscliffe Maritime MuseumClick on pic to zoom

Ted
Ebsworth was chosen to cast the memorial wreath into the sea. With him is the
youngest of Mr John Ebsworth’s descendants, David Harrison and Museum
Staff.

As the ferry
crossed the anticipated path the Waratah would have travelled as she
departed from Port Melbourne on 1 June 1909, Ted Ebsworth, grandson of passenger Mr. John Ebsworth, cast the Protea memorial wreath onto the waters of
Port Phillip, followed by fresh flowers from descendants and friends.